North Carolina is among a handful of states that forfeited money that could've been used to build safer sidewalks or bike lanes near schools, according to usa.streetsblog.org.

According to data compiled by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, North Carolina returned about $4 million that was available thanks to a 2012 federal transportation bill that gave states four years to spend funds from the Transportation Alternatives program.

The Transportation Alternatives program is funding designated for walking and biking infrastructure.

States had until Oct. 1 to make plans to use that money. Several states did not spend all of the money available to them by that date.

North Carolina is one of eight states that returned $1 million or more. South Carolina returned about $1.3 million in funds. A handful of others returned amounts below $1 million.

In total, states returned $28 million intended for biking and walking to the federal government, according to StreetsBlog.